A Different Path
by Jedi Master Karzon
Summary: When one person death occurs earlier than expected, how will the Wizarding World change? Who will take their place? Who will carry on their work? AU
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello ladies and gentlemen. This is a little AU idea that has been running around in my head. And whilst certain things will probably be disliked, it s the only way I could come up with to make it possible. But hey, who knows, this may actually be an interesting story. We'll see.**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter books are incredible. J K Rowling is incredible. I am not. Therefore, I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Hogwarts, 27****th**** July 1986**

"I still can't believe he's actually gone," Pomona Sprout sobbed.

"I don't think any of us expected it, but we should have been prepared for him to die at some point," Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody grumbled.

"Indeed. The fact of the matter is, he is dead. We will carry on his work, however," Minerva McGonagall told the others.

"O' course we will! He wouldn' 'a' wanted us to let all he'd done go ter waste," Rubeus Hagrid roared.

The others in the room nodded in agreement.

"The funeral has been set for a week from now. It will be on the school grounds, as he requested in his will. Terrible business, to have done so much and then a coward poisons him. Disgraceful," Cornelius Fudge, the newly appointed Minister of Magic, sighed.

"Quite right, Minister. However, I'm sure that he would not appreciate us standing here discussing it. He would have preferred for us to continue our work, just as we always would," Filius Flitwick told the room.

"You are correct, Professor. Our friend would not have wanted us to grieve for him, especially not when we still have much to do," Elphias Doge said, standing up.

"Too true. Speaking of which, I must be off. Lots to do," the Minister agreed, moving toward the fireplace.

"Aye, I'd best be off as well. Need to make sure Caldwell hasn't tried to sneak anything into my in tray again," Moody barked.

"From what I heard, Mad-Eye, he was putting a report into it, as opposed to the cursed parchment you thought it was," Hestia Jones remarked, causing a few chuckles.

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE! For all we know, he could be a spy for the remaining Death Eaters. I better go make sure he doesn't try anything," Moody snarled before disappearing through the fireplace.

One by one, the people in the office started to leave. Eventually, only the Professors of Hogwarts were left.

"Well then. If you need me, I will be in the dungeons. I need to ensure that my Veritaserum is ready for my seventh years when they return," Severus Snape sneered as he too left the room.

"Indeed, the rest of you should go prepare for next year as well. I have things to do to prepare the school for the coming year," McGonagall said.

With nods of agreement and offers of assistance, the other Professors walked out. Minerva McGonagall stood up from behind the desk and looked around his – no, not anymore – her office. Her eyes came to rest on one of the portraits on the wall.

"You deserved a better death, not just to be poisoned by a Death Eater with a great deal of luck on his side," the new Headmistress murmured as she gazed upon the painting.

For sitting in the painting, fast asleep on his golden chair, was the late Albus Dumbledore, former Headmaster of Hogwarts.

**Hogwarts, Tuesday 1****st**** September 1991**

Minerva McGonagall stood at the front of the Great Hall, calling out the names of the first years for the Sorting Ceremony. Normally, this would be done by the Deputy Head but after the 1986 Sorting, Filius and her has come to the conclusion that it was better if she continued to do so. As "Zabini, Blaise" was placed into Slytherin, she vanished the scroll and sent the Sorting Hat back to her office.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Some matters need to be addressed. However, they will be easier to take in once you have eaten," McGonagall told the hall, as she went to her seat at the teachers' table.

She watched with amusement as the muggle-raised students, mainly the first years, saw the food materialise in front of them. The rest of the meal passed normally, as she spoke with her colleagues whilst still keeping an eye on the students. Once dessert vanished from the tables, she stood once more.

"Now that you have eaten, I have a few start-of-term notices. First years should note that, true to its name, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden. Something some of our returning students would do well to remember as well," she told them, shouting the grinning Weasley twins a stern look.

"Mr Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to remind all students that the use of magic in the corridors is forbidden. In the second week of term, Quidditch trials will be held. All those interested should speak to Madam Hooch. Of great importance this year is that the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is off-limits to all those who wish to stay at Hogwarts," the Headmistress informed her students.

"That will be all. To your common rooms, quickly and quietly please. Goodnight," she finished.

There was a great deal of noise as the students all stood up, chatting with their friends. Over this, the fifth year prefects could be heard trying to organise the first years. In spite of herself, Minerva smiled slightly. Alexander Frost, the Transfiguration Professor and Head of Gryffindor House, chuckled as he stood next to her.

"You may as well not say anything, Minerva. They're going to be noisy either way," he remarked.

"Indeed. I would probably have more luck telling a banshee to be quiet," the Headmistress responded.

"Too true. Well, I'll see you tomorrow," Alexander said in parting.

"Indeed. Until then, Alex," Minerva said as she went toward her chambers.

As she climbed into her bed, she thought about the year and what may come of it.

**Hogwarts, Wednesday 2****nd**** September 1991**

As the first years scurried into his classroom, Alexander smirked at them. Once they were seated, he stood up from behind his desk.

"Welcome to Transfiguration. Not to seem like I'm bragging but Transfiguration is some of the most amazing and dangerous magic you will learn in this school. Hence, in this room, I expect you to do what I say when I say. If you don't, you will do theory only until you grasp the fact that this is not the place to mess around," he glared at all of them as he said this.

"But if we all get along, we can have a lot of fun here as well," Alex continued with a grin.

He then started teaching them the basics before providing them with matchsticks to turn into needles. When the bell went for the end of class, only Hermione Granger had accomplished anything, turning her matchstick pointy and shiny.

When he went to the staffroom half an hour after lunch, he found Filius and Minerva discussing the first years.

"One of them is highly skilled. Miss Granger, I believe her name was. Seemed to know the answer to everything," the diminutive Charms Professor was saying.

"I quite agree. She proved most talented during my lesson with them. Mr Potter on the other hand, seems not to have inherited his father's talent for Transfiguration. Whilst I don't hold it against him, I must admit I had hoped he would be a prodigy as well," Alex remarked.

"Indeed. So far he seems to have little in common with his father other than appearance. He seems to me to be a lot more like his mother," Minerva observed.

"I couldn't agree more. I seem to remember James had lost thirty house points and gained two week of detention by this time. Thankfully, the Weasley twins are not that bad," Filius remarked.

"I didn't really know James and Lily so I can't really say much. I do, however, remember that. Didn't him and Sirius Black get that for starting a food fight during the opening feast?" Alex asked.

"Not only. They lost ten house points each for that and got three days detention. The rest came from them pouring Remus Lupin's apparently atrocious cure for boils all over the Slytherins. Horace was, shall we say, not amused and took twenty house points from each and gave them another eleven days detention. I did not appreciate Gryffindor being at negative twenty before the end of the first day of teaching," Minerva seethed.

"Yes, it was such a shame when they left. Whilst they were exceedingly aggravating, bullies and probably insane, they were often highly amusing," Filius commented.

"You weren't the one who always got them for detention. I seem to remember that no one wanted to have to put up with them for detention and so I ended up spending most of my time after class supervising their detentions," Minerva reminded him.

And thus the weeks continued for the teachers, teaching classes before discussing them in the staffroom later on. Minerva McGonagall bending the rules to allow Harry Potter onto the Gryffindor Quidditch Team sparked a great deal of debate amongst the teachers although most didn't mind.

Halloween, however, saw a break in the routine.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Good day, ladies and gentlemen. This is the second chapter of this story. Some parts will be lifted from the book, of course. We will proceed from where the last chapter left off. Sorry it's relatively short.**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter books are incredible. J K Rowling is incredible. I am not. Therefore, I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Hogwarts, 31****st**** October 1991**

Everyone had sat down for the Halloween feast and both staff and students were chatting with their peers. Minerva McGonagall looked out over the Great Hall at her students, proud of them all for one reason or another. Glancing along the table, she frowned slightly when she realised that Professor Quirrell was absent. As if summoned by her thoughts, the doors to the Great Hall burst open and Quirrell sprinted in. Upon reaching the staff table, he leant against the table in front of Minerva, turban askew and a look of terror on his face.

"Troll - in the dungeons - thought you ought to know."

This was all he managed to say before he passed out in a dead faint. There was a moment of stunned silence before the Hall erupted in cries of shock, horror and terror. Minerva sprang to her feet, drawing her wand. It took six emerald firecrackers erupting from her wand to restore quiet to the Hall.

"Prefects, lead your houses to their common rooms. Slytherins, to the library," Minerva ordered.

As the prefects ushered the other students from the hall, the teachers gathered in front of the staff table. Madam Pomfrey bent down over Quirrell, making sure he was uninjured.

"We will split up into groups of two. We will then head into the dungeons, find the troll and remove it from the premises. Questions?" Minerva asked, looking around.

Receiving none, she proceeded to split up the teachers. Once they knew whom they were working with, the teachers left to search the dungeons. Eventually, only Minerva, Severus, Alex, Septima Vector and Rolanda Hooch were left. After Minerva sent Septima and Rolanda off as well, Alexander went to the door to wait for the other two.

"Severus, I want you to check the third floor corridor. Make sure that no one is trying to get in," Minerva told the Potions Master quietly.

"Understood. I'll go and make sure everything is… secure," Severus muttered.

With that, Severus swept out, nodding slightly to Alex as he passed. Alex nodded back as the Potions Master strode by and climbed the stairs. Alex fell into step beside Minerva as she strode out of the Hall, moving toward the dungeons.

"How do you think the troll got in?" Alex asked as they trotted down into the dungeons.

"Valid question. My concern is that it may be a distraction," Minerva pointed out quietly.

"Possible. After all, we both know - what was that?" Alex asked, as a loud crash came from above them.

"Come on. It may have moved elsewhere. We have to hurry," Minerva said, turning back to the stairs.

When the second, even louder, crash came, the two teachers glanced at each other before breaking into a run. They raced up a couple of flights of stairs, charging into the corridor when the third crash led them onto the second floor. Halfway along the corridor, they met Severus and Quirrell running up from the other direction. Continuing their charge, the four teachers burst into the girls' toilets, hands reaching for their wands.

The sight that greeted them was not expected. Two first year Gryffindor boys, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, were standing over an apparently unconscious mountain troll. Weasley was holding his wand up, having obviously recently cast a spell. Potter was standing next to the troll, wand held by his side. Severus knelt down to examine the troll, while Quirrell sat down on a toilet, clutching his chest. Alex stood next to Minerva gazing sternly at his students.

"What on earth were you thinking of? You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?" cold fury lacing every word she spoke.

"Please, Professor McGonagall - they were looking for me," said a voice from the shadows.

The person stepped forward to reveal Hermione Granger, one of the first year Gryffindor girls.

"Miss Granger?" Alex asked, tone warning her that she should choose her next words _very_ carefully.

"I went looking for the troll because I - I thought I could deal with it on my own - you know, because I've read all about them," Granger told the teachers.

Weasley dropped his wand, unnoticed by all except Alex.

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead by now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived," Granger explained.

Alex glanced at the boys.

"Well - in that case… Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own? Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this. I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor Tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses," Minerva told the girl.

Granger walked out, head hanging.

"I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. You may go," Minerva told the boys.

The two of them scampered out as Severus stood.

"Their story fits. As best I can tell, the troll was knocked out by a blow to the head," Severus told the others as a couple of other teachers ran in.

"Indeed. Except they're lying," Alex remarked, gazing at the troll.

"I beg your pardon?" Minerva said.

"When Granger began her tale, Weasley dropped his wand in shock. Then, whilst well hidden, their confusion and shock were visible on their faces as she continued. I can't tell you what actually happened but it was not that," Alex explained.

"Well then. I suggest we keep an eye on them to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. We'll sweep the school once more and then go to bed," Minerva ordered.

The other teachers left to check the school over while Filius floated the troll out of the room, accompanied by Alex in case it awoke. Once Quirrell had left, Minerva turned to Severus.

"Anything happen?" she demanded.

"I ended up having to enter the corridor. The thing managed to get me. However, our fears are confirmed. Someone has pursued it here and likely let the troll in to distract us," Severus informed her quietly.

"Do you think it's _him_?" Minerva asked, just as quietly.

"Highly probable. However, I couldn't tell you how or whether it is actually him. If it is, do you want me to pretend to work with him in an effort to find out his plans?" Severus queried.

"No. If he returns, we will need a spy, Severus. Until then, however, we pretend that you don't know of his continued existence or plans. If he asks later on, I'm certain you can find a reason that will satisfy him as to why you helped us stop him here," Minerva told him.

"Understood. I'm going to speak to Poppy about getting this looked at. I will see you tomorrow, Minerva," Severus said in farewell.

He turned and swept from the room. Minerva sighed slightly before flicking her wand at the room, restoring it to pristine condition. That done she too left.


End file.
